Freedom
by Wicked R
Summary: the Scoobies unexpectedly meet Team Angel in the middle of a battle.


Disclaimers: all characters belong to Mutant Enemy.

Genre: Angst

Rating: G

Set: season 7 BtVS, season 4 AtS. Spoilers accordingly.

Summary: the Scoobies unexpectedly meet Team Angel in the middle of a battle.

Pairings: B/S, A/C, F/G.

Warning: not beta read.

Note: yes, I AM wicked. And obsessed. But you already knew that.

Buffy had only realised they walked into a trap after the portal has shut behind them. The Stonefiend they've been up against had never intended to defeat them. It just wanted them out of the way. Maybe so it can roam free or for some other reason. She was only guessing. The Slayer looked around in an almost empty room with a frustrated expression on her face and shook her head at her own stupidity. 

The room wasn't much bigger than her own living room, clean, with a sink at one side, full of water. The chamber was painted white but had no doors, only a large, but dense iron-bar window positioned higher then her head. Nevertheless, a window that could lead them back to Sunnydale once the iron bars are taken away. A window that…a window!! If they were somewhere around the same dimension and the same place, sunrise was only about half an hour away!

"Spike!" she exclaimed in panic. The addressee was already searching the parameters of the area, walking up and down, measuring walls, looking up at the window. Dawn and Xander just watched him, a bit puzzled. He looked like a weird Sherlock Holmes in action, only with blonde hair.

"I think it is ok," concluded finally the blond vampire, "there is about a meter at this side, the sun would not reach there in the morning, and a similar space remains shaded at the other side of the room in the afternoon. You'll just have to shield me when I move from one side to the other."

It was then that the same portal opened and before they could do anything about it, it shut again, leaving a mesmerised Cordelia and Angel behind, along with a thin women hand in hand with a young bark man and an all weapons teenager.

The two gangs exchanged surprised exclamations consisting of each other's names, then Cordelia quickly returned to her social self, introduced everyone, kissed around everyone and tried to establish the facts, "was it a giant creature, like a humanoid made of rocks?"

"Is the one," agreed Dawn, "but how can it be in two places in the same time?"

"There can be more or…it's a demon. Anything can happen," supplied Buffy.

"But why us out of all the demon fighters in the world? I mean, there must be a connection…"

"Everybody safe?" checked around Angel, "Fred?" He turned towards the young woman.

"Y…yeah. Just my glasses. It was a hopper demon."

"What's that?" asked the teenager, "how can we kill it?" "I think we are a bit far away from that opportunity," cut into the conversation Xander, eyeing the window. 

Angel had already started to pace up and down, doing the exact same thing Spike was just a few minutes beforehand.

"No worries mate," Spike reassured him, "according to my calculations we've got a margin each side. But we gonna be a bit too close to each other for my liking…"

Angel gazed at him, there was no reason why his childe should be mistaking. He left it at that and turned his attention to Buffy. This was the first time they'd seen each other since the death of Buffy's mother. Cordelia and Willow kept contact on the other hand, so Angel and Buffy did know second hand what one or the other was doing. Angel also knew about her and Spike, but it was one thing knowing, and another seeing. Finally he stepped close to Buffy and they shared a brief, but honest embrace. Long time no see. Absence makes the heart go fonder? 

Now he turned towards Spike. He wasn't exactly the man of words. Angelus was. He wanted to say how happy he was for Spike's soul, for the fact that he wasn't alone anymore, for the fact he got his long time old friend back, together again on fighting on the same side. He was thankful for it, and given that Buffy was indirectly responsible for the change, he could only understand. Who can NOT be so over the moon about Buffy? He looked at her again, she could neutralise a vampire in so many ways. She needed someone and if that someone could not be him, Spike was a good choice. Funny, emotional, proved himself as a true warrior. She needed someone with supernatural powers, without the chance of setting the world in fire. He rationalised all this several times before, still, it hurt. Not rightly, but it did.

"So, peaches, are you gonna hug me or are you gonna fight me?" Spike gestured towards the sword Angel still kept in his hand after the battle with the Stonefiend. Angel gave him one of his you just annoyed me looks and turned away. It was too early for showing emotions towards his childe. 

"Is this my brother then?" pointed Connor towards Spike.

"Hahaha, the boy," amused himself Spike, "hmm. Darla's son is it? You have her eyes. And that smile, wow." 

Angel looked pleased with the compliments. Spike picked it up right away as a chance to annoy his Sire, "over enthusiastic parent? You certainly look it," pointed out Spike mimicking the facial expression his old Sire, "wouldn't mind if you extended that pride to me? No, of course, it would be too much to bare anyway." A faint light of sunrise came through the window, "we better warm up for a squeeze together then."

By the time the pink colour of the sky before turned to a beautiful orange and then finally to gold, the two vampires were standing with their backs to the wall, only a couple of inches away from each other. The rest of them were occupied with dismantling the window. The iron bars were not too hard to break for the Slayer, and she preceded doing so one by one, but there was also a force field behind the window. They found some of the electronics deep in the walls just next to the window, and Fred was on it. Doing this, they also clouded the large window opening somewhat, making it easier for the vampires to survive the day. Spike's calculations were only slightly wrong. By half past eleven there really only was the place their feet stood on shaded. Both vampires closed into themselves, it was easier to look stronger that way. The others had spelt water on them from time to time to make it more comfortable for them. 

After Fred's analysis, they all drank from the water. Dawn had some chocolate and they shared it around. It wasn't much.

The vampires both had dinner the previous night, so they were ok food wise. The heat was nevertheless searing into their skin, wrapping fingers around their throats. Angel breathed in deeply, unnecessarily, lungs filling with the thick, hot air. He tried to relieve his nausea with his action, but it only made it worse. His head felt light. Detaching itself from his body, he felt it beginning to float. He was shivering. All the symptoms of a heat exhaustion, he taught to himself with irony. He wished he actually didn't have that dinner last night. He felt a stronger wave of nausea coming over him.

"For God sakes, watch it!" the exclamation came from Spike, trying to duck away from the ugly looking digested pig's blood that oozed out from his Sire's mouth. Spike inched away as much as he could, close to the wall. The shadowy line was smaller there where he stepped to now.

Buffy looked down and only resumed work when she saw Angel indicating Cordelia, that he was ok.

"Give me water, aaah" screamed suddenly Spike, "here on my hands, quick, quick."

Dawn was closest and helped. Buffy came down from the window, looking worried, "what is it Spike?"

"I just feel heat waves on the palm and fingers of my hands. This is true, can swear it! Right now my hands are warm but are heating up. It is combustion starting!"

"Right, of course, calm down. Everyone. Angel?"

The addressee looked up, all sweat and eyes hazy, "uh, yeah."

"Okay, guys, there is a shadowy patch developing at the other side, so we are going to get one of you over there just now. It is not enough space here for the both of you. Everybody form a wall along the room…Yeah, that is it. Now run Spike."

He made it to the other side slightly smoking, but Buffy has thrown her wet jacket on him and held it over, till he said he was ok.

It was only a few minutes that the shadow closed on Angel that much, that he had to move too. He straightened up and stepped behind the not completely perfect human wall. Anguish, fires lashing with smooth tongues against his skin. The hurting was beyond description, his vocabulary failed him and he settled instead for a yell. Blackness encompassed him and hurrying hands caught him, transported him to the other side, thrown water over him too. With him unconscious, there wasn't enough room for the two of them any other way, than Spike sitting down in the corner, holding Angel in his arms, between his legs, with his Sire's head on his chest. 

Cordelia and Dawn had thrown water over them occasionally, but there wasn't much else anybody could do for them till night time. Apart from the occasional moan accompanied from a small movement from Angel, nothing happened.

Cordelia was more and overwhelmed by worry, "why isn't he coming to? Spike is fine."

"I'm fine?? I'm bloody sweltering, woman! Not to mention this dead weight on me?"

"Daylight affects different vampires differently," said Buffy, "it depends. On the last time they fed, what they had, how much, and on how much they are healed from recent injuries, their overall fitness level…so, so many things."

"Ee, if I may," added Spike, "Angelus was never too good at the daylight hurdle, if I remember the type of chores I used to get…"

"I got it," exclaimed Fred, referring to the force field. Buffy immediately asked Xander to join her on a search trip outside, and Gunn went too. Shortly they came back reporting, that they were still somewhere in California, but they were surrounded by guards, Stonefiends of the same variety, but smaller.

Buffy found it possible to launch an attack any time after dusk. According to Fred, they would all try to disconnect the fiends' heads from their body, that is all it took to finish them off. Fred was sure, she's seen them in some book somewhere. Buffy gazed in amazement at the kaleidoscope of crimson and yellow, and the hundred blends of colour in between. The sunset was magnificent. She hardly ever had the chance to see it. Mostly she slept through it, tired from night fighting. Besides, generally, her boyfriends were not too much into it either, for one obvious reason or another… There was a grunt from Angel as he repressed the bile rising in his stomach and made an attempt to take a look at his surroundings.

"Was it time, or what?" let him down an annoyed Spike and stepped under the window, now dark, "ready to kick ass then," he reported to Buffy and touched her on the shoulder.

Cordelia ran over to Angel, helping him sit up. She could feel the heat of his cheeks and shoulders radiating into the cool night.

Buffy kneeled down in front of them, "how are you?"

"A bit…queasy," he admitted, although he tried to make absolutely sure that he will not prove it. To be that weak in front of all these people, especially Buffy and Spike…He wasn't sure if there was anything else left in his stomach, but he held it anyway, in case that helped keeping the contents in.

Buffy leaned over to touch where he kept his hands, "let me see."

"Why??" defended himself the wide shouldered vampire, turning away.

Buffy wasn't in the mood for hiding games, "because I'm the Slayer and you're the vampire that's why!" As shouting didn't help her going over the frustration that this was all her fault, at least the four of them being there, she sighed and changed into lower tone level, "I…gotta have a proper idea in what condition you are in. We figure there is gonna be a guard change soon and we should go before the new, fresh force arrives. But we can not carry you. If you can't fight, I'd still like you to be able to move."

"Why don't you just ask, Buffy?"

"Because I'm…"

"The Slayer and me the vampire, I know."

"Could we hurry up here a little bit, peaches? Ok, I'll make it clear. If you just say it, who's gonna believe you? Plus, I don't think it is a secret, she is THE Slayer. The chosen one? She developed a new ability, identifying the strength of every vampire just by touch of the torso." They all stared. Buffy made a disagreeing noise. "Why, was it a secret, love?"

"Noo…just…"

"Just? Just when were you gonna tell this any of us?" complained Xander, "to any of your friends, your sister? So it's Spike now, isn't it? All, but Spike. Since when did he become the most trustworthy creature on the planet?"

"Ok, all, can we just get on with the task at hand? I'll get back to each of you at the proper time."

"Which is, the touch, c'me on, my Sire, however do not go very far on the heartbreaking stuff and you are not allowed to touch back," urged on Spike mockingly.

Buffy extended her hand towards Angel's belly again, "I am responsible for all of you, you know, in this situa…"

"Who do you think we are? Puppies?" The disagreement came from Connor, "and I warn you in advance, I don't take orders from young women!"

"Just young women?" enquired Gunn.

"He doesn't take orders from anyone, that is for sure," whispered Cordelia. "He really doesn't," concurred Angel.

"Thank you, now I really know where I stand," looked at them Buffy puffed. She just finished her inspection, and turned to Connor, "well, there you go then. Take care of your father the way you want, cause I'm afraid he is not going anywhere without help."

"Dad?"

"Umm, dunno. Maybe a bit of help in standing up?"

Connor lifted one of his father's arms and took the weight. As he didn't get much assistance from the person he was holding, he kept on holding the weight.

"Well, what can I say?" gestured Buffy, "I was gonna count you in with the warriors when we break out, but this way…"

"I'll get him," offered Cordelia. The rest stood up for battle.

"Us, left guard, Connor's team, right guards," Buffy jumped up the window. Her group turned and found 3 stone guards, one greenish, one taller, one wearing a strange baseball jacket. She assumed a ready stance and felt like her body was gathering up force from the cosmos. She turned towards the green one and raised her arms. She chose that guard because it just seemed like the most vicious one. She moved towards it and instigated her hip rotation. She had intended to strike so hard that even if it tried to prevent her sword, she would still take him out. There was a disgusting thump from the head. Hell with it. Spike turned towards the tall guy at the same time as Buffy attacked. He moved towards it eager to catch it with a stepping sidekick. It geared up and took steps towards him.

Dawn shouted, "knock his head off," afraid her warrior and protector forgot what to do. But Spike knew what he was doing. As the fiend still came towards him hoping to finish the clash with a terrific right hand blow, the vampire deliberately left himself exposed to encourage it.

He turned his hips, concurrently blocking the strike with his arm and delivering a horizontal sword to its head. He had taken a big chance. He might have messed up and lost the fight right then. However, with the other stone lads about, it was worth the chance to get it out of the fight. The stone guy with the jacket seemed completely puzzled as Xander moved towards it. In ten seconds, two of its associates were dead. It run. On the other side, Gunn's guy assumed a threatening gaze and chose to attack. He rushed forward and kicked the earth in front of one of it. A small amount of the California sand flew into its eyes. It could see but it was clearly difficult for it to focus. The human started to circle around it kicking at its knees. The creature fall on his face and Gunn took the head. Connor sent his broadsword in a short arc, blocking the keen sway of another stone boy's hammer. His sword cut through the apparently not all stone guy's arm, cutting it off just under the shoulder. To Connor's abhorrence, the guy fought on, with foam on its lips. Another stroke, and those lips - and the head - rolled onto the ground in a pond of pink blood. A second stoney ass was skewered on the tip of Connor's blade. A third was crushed into a jelly of shattered glass by his shield he took away from the previous guard. Charging forwards, he took the lead with everybody else behind. In case there were other surprises on the way. Buffy didn't even attempt to catch him. A man on a mission. To prove himself, probably for her sake.

Connor in fact, caught a glimpse of a scrambling woman with black hair and big eyes. He grab hold of her in no time, "who are you?" Connor could smell the blood on her. The woman was struggling to get out of his grip and the approaching Buffy recognised Drusilla in her. So that is why they were all captured. Dru's playing games again.

Spike caught up with them too and answered Connor's question, "she is a vampire. Evil, when I last checked…" but before anything else could be said, Connor put his stake through her heart. They could all see now as she disintegrated into dust. What Angel could never do to her, what Spike could never do to her, was done in a millisecond.

Spike went up to the dust, lifted up as much as he could and thrown it around madly, as if trying to reinstate her posture.

Angel just stared, "be free. Go to your God, cause he is your man."

The End. 


End file.
